UK AND FRANCE MOVE TO NEXT PHASE OF JOINT UCAS DEVELOPMENT

Computer generated image of a concept Unmanned Combat Air Vehicle (UCAS) Defence cooperation between the UK and France has been strengthened following agreements signed at the Farnborough Air Show today. Philip Hammond and Jean-Yves Le Drian agreed to bolster cooperation relating to the acquisition and support of military equipment for both the UK and French Armed Forces. The agreement follows on from the communiqué that was signed by Prime Minister David Cameron and French President Francois Hollande at RAF Brize Norton in January, which set out plans for closer ties between the two countries. As part of the deal signed today, the UK and France agreed a £120m Feasibility Phase with six industry partners for the joint development of Unmanned Combat Air Vehicle concepts and technologies. They also signed a Memorandum of Understanding on the SCALP/Stormshadow programme with MBDA that continues our cooperation on this important cruise missile capability.

ByGeorge Allison The joint project will develop two full-scale and operational unmanned combat aircraft demonstrators by 2025. Minister for Defence Procurement Harriett Baldwin and her French counterpart Laurent Collet-Billon signed an agreement to enable the next phase of the UCAS programme to begin.   According to a press release: “This means that the three UK… Continue reading UK AND FRANCE MOVE TO NEXT PHASE OF JOINT UCAS DEVELOPMENT

RUSSIA WILL RESPOND IF NATO ESTABLISHES MILITARY GROUP IN BLACK SEA

SNMG2 had extensive training with Turkish Navy

Sourced : Sputnik Russia will give an adequate response to the strengthening of NATO’s military infrastructure near its borders, the head of the Russian Foreign Ministry’s European Cooperation Department told Sputnik Thursday. “The bolstering of NATO military infrastructure near Russia’s borders will continue and we will respond to it appropriately,” Andrei Kelin said. He added… Continue reading RUSSIA WILL RESPOND IF NATO ESTABLISHES MILITARY GROUP IN BLACK SEA

ROYAL NAVY’S SUPPORT SHIP COMPLETES MARATHON MEDITERRANEAN MISSION

Home with just seven days to spare before Christmas Day are the sailors and Royal Marines on RFA Mounts Bay which has completed a marathon deployment in the Mediterranean. The amphibious support ship has been away from home for 349 days as one of the first vessels to deploy in 2016… and last to return.… Continue reading ROYAL NAVY’S SUPPORT SHIP COMPLETES MARATHON MEDITERRANEAN MISSION

ROYAL MARINES UNLEASH FULL METAL JACKAL STORMING BEACHES IN BAHRAIN

Jackal armoured cars kicked up the Bahraini sand as they swarmed ashore during the climax of a three-week amphibious exercise in the Gulf. Despite choppy surf, Royal Marines from Lima Company, 42 Commando, stormed the beaches alongside their Bahraini counterparts under the cover of air power as Exercise Pearl Dagger 16 came to an explosive… Continue reading ROYAL MARINES UNLEASH FULL METAL JACKAL STORMING BEACHES IN BAHRAIN

AIRBUS DEFENCE & SPACE C295 WINS CANADIAN FWSAR CONTEST FOR 16 AIRCRAFT

Sourced : Flight Global Concluding a circuitous, 14-year acquisition process, the Canadian government has selected the Airbus Defence & Space C295 turboprop to replace its air force’s fixed-wing search and rescue (FWSAR) fleet. The decision is a coup for Airbus, given its lengthy effort to defeat a rival bid from the Leonardo C-27J Spartan, as… Continue reading AIRBUS DEFENCE & SPACE C295 WINS CANADIAN FWSAR CONTEST FOR 16 AIRCRAFT

EGYPTIAN NAVY RECEIVES THE FIRST TYPE 209/1400MOD CLASS SUBMARINE IN KIEL

Sourced : Defence Blog The Egyptian Navy officially received its first Type 209/1400 submarine from the German submarine specialist ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems (TKMS). The second HDW 209/1400mod class submarine (Yard No. 448) for the Navy of the Arab Republic of Egypt was named at the shipyard of Thyssenkrupp Marine Systems in Kiel today. “S41”, the… Continue reading EGYPTIAN NAVY RECEIVES THE FIRST TYPE 209/1400MOD CLASS SUBMARINE IN KIEL

DONALD TRUMP SLAMS “OUT OF CONTROL” F-35 JSF

Sourced : Aviationweek Βy Lara Seligman Donald Trump left the collective defense community quaking in its boots last week after he threatened to cancel Boeing’s new Air Force one. Now he’s going after another massive aerospace firm, slamming Lockheed Martin’s F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) for “out of control” costs. “Look at the F-35 program… Continue reading DONALD TRUMP SLAMS “OUT OF CONTROL” F-35 JSF

NATO HUNTING AT LEAST ONE RUSSIAN NAVY OSCAR II CLASS SUBMARINE IN THE MEDITERRANEAN SEA

By David Cenciotti Several Maritime Patrol Aircraft are involved in a big hunt: one (possibly two) Oscar II-class submarine that Russia has sent after NATO warships. According to military sources, a big hunt is underway in the eastern Med: several MPA aircraft, including U.S. Navy P-8 Poseidon jets operating from NAS Sigonella, Sicily, are looking… Continue reading NATO HUNTING AT LEAST ONE RUSSIAN NAVY OSCAR II CLASS SUBMARINE IN THE MEDITERRANEAN SEA

NORTH KOREA CAN MOUNT A NUCLEAR WARHEAD ON A BALLISTIC MISSILE

Sourced : CBS North Korea now has the capability to launch a nuclear weapon, a senior U.S. military official said Thursday, adding that while the U.S. believes Pyongyang can mount a warhead on a missile, it’s not clear that it can hit a target. The official said it appears that North Korea can mount a… Continue reading NORTH KOREA CAN MOUNT A NUCLEAR WARHEAD ON A BALLISTIC MISSILE

TRUMP SHOULD HALT US MISSILE – DEFENCE PLANS IN EUROPE

Sourced : Defence One By Joe Cirincione & Tytti Erästö The one constant in Donald Trump’s foreign-policy views has been his desire to improve relations with Moscow. “There’s nothing I can think of that I’d rather do than have Russia friendly, as opposed to the way they are right now,” he said in July, a… Continue reading TRUMP SHOULD HALT US MISSILE – DEFENCE PLANS IN EUROPE